Device for working a bead-carrying thread on multiple-needle embroidery machines



3 W 112', SEWTNG MACHINES.

Aug. 25, 1925. 1,550,778

M. BRETSCHNEIDER DEVICE FOR WORKING A BEAD CARRYING THREAD ON MULTIPLE NEEDLE EMBROIDERY MACHINES Filed Sept. 15, 1923 5 h ts-Sheet 1 21" 112, SEWTNGMAGHINES- 7 5" Aug. 25,1925. 1,550,778

M. BRETSCHNEIDER DEVICE FOR WORKING A BEAD CARRYING THREAD on nun-rum NEEDLE EMBROIDERY mcnmns Filed Sept. 15, 1923 5 heets-S eet 2 .1 I m L12, SEWING MAGhINmo. i.

' Aug.- 25, 1925.

- 1,550,778 M. BRETSCHNEIDER DEVICE FOR WORKING A DEAD CARRYING THREAD ON MULTIPLE NEEDLE EMBROIDERY MACHINES Filed Sept. 15, 1923 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Aug. 25, 1925. 1,550,778

M. BRETSCHNEIDER DEVICE FOR WORKING A BEAD CARRYING THREAD ON MULTIPLE NEEDLE EMBROIDERY MACHINES Filed Sept. 15, 1923 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 .Lnlrentor;

- fltior cx 132, SEWING MACHINE 55,

Aug. 25, 1925. 1,550,778

" M. BRETSCHNEIDER DEVICE FOR WORKING A EEAD CARRYING THREAD ON MULTIPLE NEEDLE EMBROIDERY MACHINES Filed Sept. 15,192: 5 he t -Sheet 5 112, SEWING lvl. ACHINEK? Patented Aug. 25, 1925.

. UNITED STATES 7 5, aits PATENT OFFICE.

MAX BRETSCI-INEIDER, OF PLAUEN, GERMANY, ASSIGNOR TO THE FIR-M: VOGT- LANDISGHE MASCHINENFAIBRIK (VORMALS J. C. 80 H. DIETRICH) AKTIEN'GESELL SCHAFT, OF PLAUEN, SAXONY, GERMANY.

' DEVICE FOR WORKING A BEAD-CARRYING THREAD ON MULTIPLE-NEEDLE EMBROIDERY MACHINES.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, MAX BRETSGHNEIDER, a citizen of the German Republic, and a resident of Plauen, Saxony, Germany, have invented a new and useful Improved Device for WVorking a Bead-Carrying Thread on Multiple-Needle Embroidery Machines, of which the following is a. specification.

In connection with multiple-needle embroidery machines in which a bead-carrying thread is worked, devices have already been devised for separating one or more beads by means of a catch, which cooperates with the appropriately shaped needle, for instance, in such a manner that while the needle moves backwards the lowest bead becomes separated from the other beads and is conveyed onto that piece of thread that extends from the eye to the fabric. The catch must then, when the needle has entered the fabric, move downwards as much as corresponds to the axial length of the bead.

The present invention has for its object to provide a device, which can be used in connection with beads of different sizes, and to this end, I have provided an arrangement in which the downward movement of the catch can be controlled, so that it is possible to work beads of different size on the same machine. This control of the movement of the catch is effected preferably with the aid of the known device for controlling the depth of penetration of borers or of a dividing disc, and is, therefore, capable of being controlled by means of a jacquard card, which heretofore has never been employed in connection with bead embroidery machines, or by hand, if the machine is a pantograph embroidering machine.

It has also been found advantageous to give the catch an additional movement the moment the head is separated from the column of beads, the object of this additional movement being to prevent a larger bead from becoming wedged in between the needle and the catch to prevent the embroidery tools and the fabric from being damaged. When varying the extent of movement of Application filed September 15, 1923. Serial No. 662,883.

the catches, the thread guides also must be freshly adjusted, which can be easily accomplished by making the two embroidery tools dependent one upon the other. It is, however, more advantageous to make the total motion of the catches, i. e. the sum of its first downward movement, which is adjustable according to the size of the bead, and its additional deviating movement, of equal length, whereby a material simplification of the gearing is obtained. In connection with this, provision is made to prevent the separated beads from getting in front of the needle points in case of an accidental displacement of the reciprocating fabric frame and thereby be run through by the needles. Finally the pile of beads must be prevented, when the loop is formed, from getting into the range of the dividing device and from being caught by the latter in a wrong manner. This I accomplish by guards arranged on a common aux- 7O iliary rail.

One embodiment of my invention is illustrated more or less diagrammatically in the accompanying drawings, in which Figures 1-7 are perspective views showing the cooperation of the embroidery needle with the bead catch and with the auxiliary bead guards and Figure 8 is a perspective view of the means for actuating the catch and the rail carrying the auxiliary guards.

Referring to Figures 1-7, the embroidery needles 1, each of which is provided with an eye and a tongue extending longitudinally thereof and separated from the shank of the needle by a slit open at its rear end and terminating at the other end in said eye, are secured in known manner to the needle bar or ruler 2 on which an auxiliary rail 18 is shiftable transversely of the needle axis. On the rail 18 are fastened dividing arms 19, each of which has at its end an oblique face 10, which is adapted to cooperate with a correspondingly shaped edge 10 formed at the rear end of the shank of the needle 1, when a bead or beads y are separated from the bead column strung on the thread :20.

In front of the needle bar 2, I provide in the frame of the machine a catch rail 20, which is adapted to be reciprocated vertically, while the needle reciprocates horizontally.

On the rail 20, are arranged catches 12, one for each needle 1. The rear edge of each catch is beveled and each is provided with a cross slot 21 into which the embroidery thread enters, when the beads are separated.

In front of the catch rail 20, is arranged a rail 22, which is adapted to be moved in a quadrangle during the embroidery operation. Provided on said rail, are two auxiliary guard members 23 and 24L for each needle. The free end of the member 23 is located deeper and nearer the fabric surface than the free end of the member 24:, which is bent rearwardly in the direction of the needle bar 2 to such an extent as to be located behind the catch 12, viz between the latter and the needle bar 2. The members 23 and 24 together form the bead guards for the respective needle and its thread. The special object of the member 23 is to engage the thread extending from the needle eye to the fabric surface, when the needle has been withdrawn, and while the needle performs its next forward movement to pull it down, so as to hold the beads y from getting into the range of the needle point. The object of the member 2%, on the other hand, in assuming a position in front of the embroidery thread 00 and the beads strung thereon, after the needle has stitched into the fabric is to prevent the beads from getting in front of the separating device 10, 10, while the loop is being formed. To accomplish this result, the following cycle of operations takes place:

In the starting position (Fig. 1) the needle 1 is completely withdrawn and the catch 12 is lifted to such a height that it is situated just above the path of the needle 1. During this time, the member 23 holds down that part of the embroidery thread, which runs from the needle eye to the fabric surface. The bead guard 24 at that time is laterally displaced, so that the thread 00 with its beads can freely pass without colliding with it.

As soon as the needle has stitched into the fabric (Fig. 2) and the embroidery thread :0 has entered the slot- 21 of the catch 12, the bead column y has been lowered onto the catch 12, and the member 23 is shifted laterally and horizontally and re leases thereby the embroidery thread a", so that the latter can be pulled through the fabric. Simultaneously with the horizontal lateral movement of the member 23, the member 24 passes behind the row of beads preventing the latter from tumbling backwards, while the loop is being formed and the thread 00 slackened for this purpose. Besides said member 24: prevents the thread from slipping out of the slot 21 of the catch 12, while the loop is being formed and from coming behind the beveled edge of the catch 12, which is liable to tear the thread.

\Vhen the shuttle has caught the thread a? and has pulled it tight, the member 2% is moved a little to the right until it has just released the thread and the latter can be lowered at the proper moment together with the beads strung thereon. This right hand movement of the guard 24, however, is not long enough to bring guard 23 below the needle 1.

The dividing or separating arm 19 in the meantime has performed a lateral move ment (Fig. 3). While the needle has been stitched completely into the fabric, the arm 19 has been moved forward so much (Fig. 1) that only a small gap for the passage of the embroidery thread 50 remains between the bead separating members 10 and 10 of the needle and the arm 19. Then the catch 12 with the bead column y supported thereon is so much lowered that it lies below the separating members 10, 10 for the length of a bead, and separates this bead from the column (Fig. 5) at the succeeding rearward movement of the needle 1, that head being now located below the needle. This is due to the fact that the beads are being guided singly and consecutively to the lower side of the needle by means of the catch 12, as can be understood from Figs. 4 and 5, the edges 10 and 10 of the needle and of the arm 19 then being forced into the bead column, so that, when the needle moves further rearwards, the lowermost bead gets below the shank and tongue of the needle separated from one another by the slit, whereas the other beads are being supported upon the upper surface of the needle with the thread a? extending through the eye of the needle, as shown in Figs. 6 and 7, and remain in that posit-ion until they are seized again by the catch, as in Fig. 2. As soon, however, as the separating members 10, 10" reach the heads 3 the catch 12 performs another downward movement (Fig. 6) in order to prevent a bead that might be larger than the others from damaging the needle 1, if the space between the needle and catch 12 be too narrow.

lVhile the needle 1 is moved rear-wards, the members 23, 24 are lifted into the position shown in Figures 5 and 6, viz above the horizontal needle plane, and finally, shortly before the needle 1 is withdrawn from the fabric, said guards 23. 24- are moved horizontally to the right, so that the member 23 arrives in a posit-ion transversely above the needle 1, or above the part of the thread extending from the needle eye to the fabric 7). When then the readjustment of the reciprocating fabric frame has taken place, the guards 23, 24 move downwards into the position shown in Figure 1.

As the needle 1 and arm 19 move into rearward position, the thread as with the remaining column of beads y strung thereon passes along the slot between the shank and tongue of the needle and enters the needle eye at the moment the needle and arm reach the end of their rearward stroke. The catch 12 in the meantime is lifted into its initial position, so that its bottom is just level with the upper face of the needle as shown in Fig. 1. The head y separated from the column by the just completed cycle of operations is now located on the portion of the thread extending from the needle eye to the fabric and will be stitched to the fabric by the succeeding stitching movement of the needle.

This cycle of operations is repeated at each stitching action. The members 23, 24 perform a horizontal movement to the left at that moment when the needle has stitched into the fabric, and, after the shuttle has seized the thread, the guards 23, 24 move to the right, but through a shorter path than formerly. After this movement, the guards are moved vertically upwards. Shortly before the needle is withdrawn from the fabric, the guards are moved farther to the right, and as soon as the needle has been completely withdrawn, the guards are moved into the original or starting position and draw with them downwards the part of the thread 00 extending from the needle eye to the fabric surface.

This quadrangular movement of the rail 22 carrying the bead guards is produced by the means illustrated in Figure 8.

On the main shaft 25 of the embroidery machine, are four cam discs 26, 27, 28 and 63. The disc 26 serves to move the guard rail 22 laterally and acts on a roller 30 carried by one arm of a double-armed lever 29, which is oscillatorily supported on a shaft 32, so that its other arm or end can act directly on the bead guard rail 22 with which it is connected by means of a rod 31. The shaft 32 of the lever 29 extends at right angles to the rail 22, as well as at right angles to the main shaft 25, and this being so, it is obvious that the lateral movement of the roller 30 causes alternate movements to the right and left of the bead guards 23, 24.

The motion of the cam disc 27 is trans mitted first to a roller 33 carried by lever 34 supported loosely on a shaft 35 and connected with one arm of a double-armed lever 38 by a rod 37. This lever 38 is fixed on a shaft 39 and its other arm is pivoted at the point 40 to a vertical rod 41, the lower end of which is connected to a one-armed lever 43 I loosely mounted on a shaft 42 and whereby it is always held in vertical position. The upper end of said rod 41 is formed with guide members 44 engaging the bead guard rail 22, so that the latter is capable of moving horizontally, while it is carried by said rod 41. The object of this arrangement and combination of parts actuated by the cam disc 27 is to effect the lifting and lowering of the rail 22 in the cycle of operations.

The shaft 39 is preferably provided with several levers 38, each of which supports a vertical rod similar to the upper half of the rod 41 shown in Figure 8, the object of the several rods being to support the bead guard rail 22 at difierent points.

The cam disc 28 serves to actuate the rail 20 carrying the catches 12. This is efiected by means of a double-armed lever 48, one arm of which is provided with a roller 47 acted upon by the cam disc 28. The other arm of the lever 48 is connected by a rod 49 with a slotted link member 50 pivoted at the point 51 to a stationary part of the machine. Moving in this link member 50, is a block 52 connected by a rod 53 with one arm of a double-armed lever 59. The block 52 may be adjusted in the link 50 by a connecting rod 56, a bell-crank lever 55 and a connecting rod 54 adapted to be actuated either by hand or by an automatic apparatus, such as, for instance, is used for the adjustment of the depth of penetration of borers. It is obvious that the extent of movement of the rod 53 depends on the adjustment of the block 52 in the link 50, while the extent of movement of the parts 28, 47, 48 and 49 is always constant.

At the upper end of the rod 53, is an eye 57, which cooperates with a cross pin 58 afiixed to one arm of the double-armed lever 59 fixed on a shaft 42 and connected with its other arm to a vertical rod 61. The pin 58 of the lever 59 and the rod 53 are connected to each other by a spring 60, which constantly tends to pull the rod 53 upwards towards the lever 59, i. e. tends to keep the pin at the lower end of the eye or slot 57 of the rod 53. The rod 61, which extends upwards from the other arm of the lever 59, as already mentioned, is guided vertically by an arm 62 mounted on the shaft 39 and is connected at its upper end to the rail 20 on which are fixed the catches 12. This rail 20 also is preferably carried by several rods 61 in order to properly support it, but the other rods are joined to levers corresponding to the lever 59 and are guided by arms corresponding to the arms 62, said other arms being loosely or rotatably mounted on the shaft 39, and said other levers being connected firmly to the shaft 42.

The just-described arrangement and combination of parts serves for lowering the catch 12, after the needle has been completely stitched into the fabric and while the embroidering process is carried on, so that the beads can be separated, while the catches return into their former position. In order to effect an additional motion of the catches as soon as the bead separating members 10, 10 of the embroidery needle 1 and finger 19 reach the bead column q the cam disc 28 can be easily so devised that the lowering of the catches is separated in steps, the first part-lowering taking place after the needle has been completely stitched into the fabric, and the second taking place at that moment when the bead separating members contact with the beads. In this case the connect-ion between the thrust rod 53 and the double armed lever 59 is effected by the following construction.

The disc 63 oscillates a bell-crank lever 65 by means of roller 6% carried by one arm thereof. This lever is carried by a shaft 66, which is supported in bearings in the frame of the machine. The other arm of said bell-crank lever 65 is pivoted to a vertical rod 67, the upper end of which is formed with a hook-shaped projection 68, which is capable of engaging the pin 58 of the lever 59 and thereby turning the lever 59 against the tension of the spring 60 without, however, actuating the rod 53, which is being retained by the block 52 of the link 50.

The catches 12 are, therefore, as is easily to be seen, lowered at regular intervals to a definite depth, which depends solely on the configuration of the cam disc 63 and the motion transmitting rods. The first partlowering of the catches 12 in accordance with Fig. 4 is, thus, effected by the cam disc 28 at the moment the needle has been stitched deepest into the fabric. This part-lowering is adjustable in conformity with the size of the head by shifting the block 52 in the link 50, whereas the second part-lowering of the catches 12, in accordance with Fig. 5, is effected by the appropriately shaped cam disc 63 by which the catches are lowered only to a definite depth and thereupon again lifted.

As before, as well as after the embroidering process the needle thread must be affixed to the fabric, provision must be made to permit the catches to be thrown completely out of gear, so that a row of stitches without beads can be made. The first part-lowering can be stopped easily by shifting the block 52 in the link 50, but in order to prevent the cam disc from lowering the catches, the hook 68 must be withdrawn from the cross pin 58, which is effected by certain means provided at the lower end of the rod 67. These means consist of a slotted link 71 pivoted to the bell-crank lever 55, of a pin 69 forming part of the rod 67 and engaging the slot 70 of said link, and of a spring 73 connecting the lower end of the rod 67 to the free end 72 of the link 71, as shown in Figure 8. The spring 73 holds the rod 67 in contact with the pin 58. If, however, the said link is so moved by the rod 5 1 that it draws the pin 69 in the direction of the axis of the. bell crank lever 55, the hook or driver 68 is withdrawn from the pin 58 and the rod 67 cannot, therefore, when rising, transmit motion to the lever 59, the rod 61 and the catches 12.

What I claim is 1. A device for applying beaded threads to fabrics, comprising, in combination, a horizontally and longitudinally movable needle having an eye at its point and a longitudinally extending tongue separated from the shank of said needle by a slit terminating in said eye, a vertically movable bead catch arranged opposite the needle point, horizontally movable bead guards arranged laterally with respect to said catch, one on one side thereof and adapted to enter into the space between said catch and the fabric, and the other on the other side of the said catch adapted to enter into the space between said catch and the vrear part of the needle, a bead separating arm arranged near the rear part of the needle, and means to reciprocate this arm laterally with respect to the said needle, substantially as described.

2. A device for applying beaded threads to fabrics comprising, in combination, a horizontally and longitudinally movable needle having an eye at its point and a 1ongitudi nally extending tongue separated from the shank of said needle by a slit terminating in said eye, a part of the shank of said needle being U-shaped and having an inclined surface at this part, a vertically movable bead catch arranged opposite the needle point, two horizontally movable bead guards arranged laterally from said catch, one on one side thereof and adapted to enter into the space between said catch and the fabric, and the other on the other side of said catch and adapted to enter into the space between the said catch and the rear part of the needle, a bead separating arm arranged near the rear part of the needle, and having an inclined surface opposite said inclined surface of the needle, and means for reciprocating said arm laterally with respect to the said needle, substantially as described.

8. A device for applying beaded threads to fabrics, comprising, in combination, a horizontally and longitudinally movable needle having an eye at its point and a longitudinally extending tongue separated from the shank of said needle by a slit terminating in said eye, a vertically movable bead catch arranged opposite said needle point, a horizontally movable guard having a horizontal arm directed towards the space between the said catch and the fabric, and another horizontally movable guard having a horizontal arm directed towards the space between said 12, SEVR HQG MACHINES.

catch and the rear part of the needle, a bead separating arm arranged near the rear part of the needle and means for reciprocating said arm laterally with respect to the said needle, substantially as described.

4:. A device for applying beaded threads to fabrics comprising, in combination, a horizontally and longitudinally movable needle having an eye at its point and a longitudinally extending tongue separated from the shank of said needle by a slit terminating in said eye, a vertically movable bead catch arranged opposite the needle point, two horizontally movable bead guards arranged laterally from said catch, one on one side thereof and adapted to enter into the space between said catch and the fabric, and the other on the other side of said catch and adapted to enter into the space between the said catch and the rear part of the needle, means for moving said guards in a quadrangle in a predetermined succession of the several parts of this path, a bead separating arm arranged near the rear part of the needle, and means for reciprocating said arm laterally with respect to the said needle, substantially as described.

5. A device for applying beaded threads to fabrics, comprising, in combination, a horizontally and longitudinally movable needle having an eye at its point and a longitudinally extending tongue separated from the shank of said needle by a slit terminating in said eye, a vertically movable bead catch arranged opposite the needle point, means for reciprocating said catch vertically, means for varying this motion, two horizontally movable bead guards arranged laterally with respect to said catch, one on one side thereof and adapted to en ter into the space between said catch and the fabric, and the other on the other side of the said catch and adapted to enter into the space between said catch and the rear part of the needle, a bead separating arm arranged near the rear part of the needle, and means for reciprocating said arm laterally with respect to the said needle, substantially as described.

6. A device for applying beaded threads to fabrics, comprising, in combination, a horizontally and longitudinally movable needle having an eye at its point and a longitudinally extending tongue separated from the shank of said needle by a slit terminating in said eye, a vertically movable bead catch arranged opposite the needle point, means for reciprocating said catch vertically, and means for varying this motion, two horizontally movable bead guards arranged laterally from said catch, one on one side thereof and adapted to enter into the space between said catch and the fabric, and the other on the other side of the said catch and adapted to enter into the space between said catch and the rear part of the needle, means to move said guards in a quadrangle in a predetermined succession of the several parts of this path, a bead separating arm arranged near the rear part of the needle, and means for reciprocating this arm longitudinally with respect tothe said needle, substantially as described.

7 In a device of the character described, a horizontally reciprocating needlehaving an eye at its point and a longitudinally extending tongue separated from the shank of said needle by a slit terminating in said eye, vertically movable bead catching means, horizontally movable bead guarding members, a member adjacent the rear part of and movable laterally relative to said needle, and bead separating means on said last named member and on the shank of said needle adapted to cooperate together to separate a bead.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

MAX BRETSCHNEIDER. 

